We call upon Ministry of Culture to publish the Decision on appointment of representative of NGO in the working group for Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on National Public Broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro. Ministry should have published this decision more than 15 days ago, and the working group for drafting this regulation held its first meeting already last week.

Candidates of NGO for membership in the working group were Kristina Cetkovic and Goran Djurovic. On 2 March, Ministry of Culture has published a List of candidates of NGO for membership in the working group, and a group of non-governmental organisation requested the Ministry to annul the list and repeat the procedure of selection of representatives of NGO on the basis of submitted candidacies.

Ministry ignored this call and continued the process of development of the Draft Law with no participation of NGO who fulfil conditions prescribed by the Government Regulation on manner and procedure of exercising the cooperation of the state administration organs and NGO. Namely, the Regulation, in Art. 11 clearly states that:

‘Candidate of a non-governmental organisation for member of the working body may be a person who:

• is Montenegrin citizen, with residence in Montenegro;
• possesses experience in relation to the task of the working body;
• is not a member of organs of political party, civil servant, state official, or employee.’

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On the occasion of 24March, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, the Centre for Civic Education appeals to the Montenegrin judiciary to take all legally prescribed measures to resolve the destiny of missing people and to repress the impunity of war crimes by processing responsible for violation of human rights and for the suffering of innocent people during post-Yugoslav wars in 1990s. Other competent institutions have to undertake more efforts in order for the facts on crimes from the past to become a part of general culture and formal education system, as we have a right to know the truth about serious violations of human rights and dignity of the victims.

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Centre for Civic Education (CCE) in cooperation with the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA/ÖFZ, Vienna), International Centre for European Studies (CIFE, Nice/Berlin), with the support of Open Regional Funds (German cooperation/GIZ), The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) and French Institute of International Relations (IFRI, Paris) has organised today a roundtable and debate with the topic of Montenegro, Western Balkans and the European Union: Accession Within the Reach?

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Today’s dismissal of PhD Vladimir Pavicevic and election of Ivan Jovetic for new president of the Council of RTCG, represents a continuation of political offensive of Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) against independency of public broadcaster RTCG.

At the new session with participation of new members of the Council of RTCG, Ivan Jovetic and Goran Sekulovic, a party mission was implemented and a former member of Commission of DPS for international cooperation, European and Euro-Atlantic integration was brought to the head of the public service. By this, a second phase of overtaking of RTCG was done, which has started by dismissal of unsuitable members of the Council Nikola Vukcevic and Goran Djurovic, and by bringing party associates Pajovic, Jovetic and Sekulovic.

DPS is firm in the intention to bring even this institution which has started to show signs of autonomy back under its control. Not even the well-intentioned calls of governments of countries partners of Montenegro, multiple times stated via public and diplomatic channels, have not borne fruit, and DPS has, as we have announced, decided to realise its notion until the end. »

We invite all colleagues from non-governmental organizations, citizens, owners of companies and employees in these compandies, state institutions’ employees, accordance with their capabilities, to contribute to the recovery of landslide in the Valley of Heroes where there is ossuary and monument honouring heroes in the Battle of Sutjeska.

Citizens should cherish the legacy of the nation-liberation battle against fascism as one of the fundamental values on which contemporary Montenegro also rests.

Tjentište is symbol of the unity of people of the former SFRY, symbol of resistance, symbol of heroism, symbol that must be preserved for new generations. About 7,000 male partisans and 597 female partisans died in Tjentište, and we have no right to forget them.

We call upon the media in Montenegro to support the fundraising action for the recovery of the landslide at Tjentište. »